Judge denies man sentenced in fatal shooting of ex-girlfriend, her son a trial

Allen Cashe previously sentenced to life in prison after pleading no contest

A man serving life in prison for a 2017 mass shooting in Seminole County was denied a motion for a trial Friday after asking to withdraw his plea months after being sentenced to life in prison.

Three months after Allen Cashe pleaded no contest to shooting six people and killing his ex-girlfriend, Latina Herring, and her 8-year-old son, Branden Christian, with an AK-47, Cashe asked for his plea to be withdrawn and that he be given a trial.

During a hearing Friday morning, Cashe took the stand and claimed he did not feel he was well-represented by his lawyers and that he did not have the opportunity to discover all the evidence in his case.

Deputy Chief James Dowdy, with the Seminole County Public Defender's Office, also took the stand, stating all attorneys took the correct measures to assure Cashe knew what was going on in his case, though he did say they had technical issues at the jail as they tried to show Cashe some of the evidence recorded on DVDs and that not all evidence was played in front of Cashe.

Cashe was sentenced to life in prison in January 2019 after he entered a plea for no contest in the shooting and killing of Latina Herring and her son.

Four others were also injured during his rampage in 2017.

"I am going to order you to be immediately returned to the Department of Corrections to complete your sentence," Galluzzo said.

The plea deal, accepted by a Seminole County judge in January, means Cashe would spend life in prison and that Herring’s family wouldn’t have to testify. Herring’s other son was also shot in the rampage but survived.

Herring’s family members who were in the courtroom during Cashe’s sentencing said they believe he should have been sentenced to death.

"He don't deserve no freedom, no life sentence or nothing. The needle," Jason Brown said.

Herring’s sister said she wants her sister to be remembered for who she was.

“I want everyone to know who my sister was. A daughter. A niece. A sister and most importantly a mother," she said.

During that last hearing, the judge asked Cashe if he wanted to say anything to the victim's family, but he refused to comment.